Prior art terminal blocks have been used extensively in the electronics field to provide electrical contacts for use in the field as well as during factory manufacture. These blocks generally include a block of material with a row of metal inserts, with each metal insert having a threaded portion adapted to receive a screw. These threaded metal portions are usually in the form of an extruded tube and are relatively thin, with the remainder of the insert being bent transverse to the plane of the tube and inserted into a slot in the terminal block. The remainder of the insert usually includes a downwardly-depending pin which is insertable in a mating through hole in a fixed panel or a printed circuit board.
Problems with the prior art terminal block are that the insert stamping contours are difficult to control, both in fabrication and assembly, and that there are no provisions made for surface mounting of the block without additional or special molded components or hardware. Additionally, if the terminal blocks are provided for shipment with the screws inserted into the tube, the screws sometimes vibrate loose. Moreover, when overtightened, the screws strip the threads in the relatively thin tube making the terminal unusable. Additionally, because the tube is originally tapped for a predetermined size screw, only screws of this size may be utilized, whereas it may be desirable to use screws of a slightly different thread diameter or style in a particular application.